This is so obvious, but ...

There are seven secrets to good writing, the trouble is no one knows what they are, but three of them are certainly write, practice, and edit. Also, try reading what you’ve written out loud, to yourself. If it sounds dumb, long-winded, stilted like you’ve swallowed a thesaurus, then get out the blue pencil and edit. Be ruthless. There really are no rules to writing, other than the basics which seem to get ignored too often. A story must have a beginning, a middle and an end. The Beginning is “The Hook”. This is what keeps the reader reading, makes them turn the page to find out what=s going on. And it doesn’t matter if it’s an action, thriller, murder or love story. “Jack looked at the girl and knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her ...” makes the reader turn the page to find out how he manages this. The Middle is how he the story unfolds. Any story should have a beat to it. The beat is the rhythm, the up and down parts. Success and failure, love and loss, escape and capture. The protagonist goes through a series of ups and downs before coming to the ... End. The end is the revelation, the unfolding, the “Uh-hu” factor in a mystery, the sigh of relief in a love story. It’s what satisfies the reader and makes them want to look out for your next book. Keep these three rules in mind and you won’t go far wrong.